


Shadows to Light

by RainbowSerenity



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, aquarella is real and true don't judge me, but oh well, it's not even all that shippy, sort of i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-07-13 10:21:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16015898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowSerenity/pseuds/RainbowSerenity
Summary: It's lonely in the realm of darkness, but a familiar face gives Aqua the hope to keep going on.





	Shadows to Light

**Author's Note:**

  * For [comeonlight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/comeonlight/gifts).



> HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOON, thank u for being a light in my life and just so darn awesome. You're the best for reblogging my fics and adding commentary and indulging in my fangirling, I guess cause it takes one to know one OHHHH
> 
> I'm sorry I wrote angst for your birthday plz don't hate me

The realm of darkness was lonely.

Of course, Aqua had expected that when she'd exiled herself here. Surely darkness was nothing but fear and hate and she'd be surrounded by it for an eternity or longer. Loneliness came with being surrounded by nothing.

But here – it was a special kind of loneliness. Before, while out on her journey, she had the goal of seeing Terra and Ven again. There was always another world to turn to full of interesting people to remind her of what she was fighting for.

What was she fighting for here, in this endless bleak nothingness?

She knew Terra and Ven were out there somewhere, but here, getting to them felt like an impossible task. The only creatures here were the shadows of darkness – those without hearts. _Heartless._ Tons of them crawling in every black space around them. 

Yes, in a sense, they were alive, and maybe that could have been enough to stave off the loneliness, had she not known true friendship before falling here.

“Terra...” she'd say, only for a few Shadows to leap towards her, instinctively aiming to snuff out her light.

“Ven...” she'd murmur, but instead saw the bleakness around her form glowing eyes and a hand ready to strike.

She fought the Heartless because the only other choice was to give in and a Keyblade Master would never do that.  It was also a badly-needed distraction. When she was fighting, Aqua almost felt like she was actually doing something  _useful_ for the realm of light. She was simply on the sidelines, hidden in the shadows with all none the wiser.

So much changed when she saw the light of the castle.

Of course, she knew the light wasn't  _real._ A lot of the paths she took were illusions, distorted places from the realm of light that were twisted by the darkness. 

This castle was no different, but it was still unmistakable.

“Cinderella...?”

Aqua's heart fell. The thought that such a kind princess's world had been swallowed by the darkness and that she most likely had been too...

Getting to the castle was a challenge, but she managed to create a path. It was oddly familiar – despite the darkness warping everything, if she closed her eyes, she could so easily imagine the ball that night and how grand it was, not to mention everything afterward.

The castle was nothing like she remembered on the inside, but again, she knew she could blame the darkness for that. Nothing was grand and there were no beautiful women dancing with princes. No Unversed, just dozens of Heartless that kept threatening to creep in and devour the castle in darkness for a second time.

Aqua fought them off automatically. It was a reflex to the point where she rarely needed to summon her Keyblade because it was always in her hand. That split second of hesitation could cost her everything if she wasn't careful.

When the place was clear – for the moment – she lowered her arm and wandered further inside. The grand hallway was still there, but it was warped and strange, almost like a maze. What looked like rotten pumpkins appeared to decorate the dilapidated walls. A warning, perhaps.

Still, she kept going. Even though she had no idea what she was doing here or what she was looking for, anything was better than simply standing around and waiting.

Eventually, she made it towards what she assumed was supposed to be the ballroom, or represent it, anyway. It was large and open with a welcoming aura despite the darkness seeping through. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine that night she'd come to this world...the Prince at the ball, finding Cinderella at her stepmother's home, that glass slipper, saving her from that Unversed…

A massive Heartless suddenly rose from a shadow on the floor, its glowing eyes immediately honing in on Aqua. She took her usual stance, knowing her heart would guide her to victory.

However, before the Heartless could attack, there was a sudden burst of light, so much brighter than anything she'd seen in the dark realm. It was _blinding –_ pure and untainted, something that wasn't worthy of being anywhere near this realm. Aqua shielded her eyes with her arm, turning away with a cry.

She felt rather than saw a burst of power and then... _calm._

When she lowered her arm, Aqua was stunned to see the Heartless gone, while the brightness and warmth of the light was still with her. It was weirdly foreign in the bleakness of the rest of the area.

To her shock, the light didn't disappear, nor was in engulfed by the darkness. Instead it remained, owning the place like a solid mass and protecting her for a few precious moment. To have that time to actually _breathe_ and take in the light she hadn't seen for so very long had to be something close to a miracle.

“Thank you...” Aqua murmured, unsure of who she was talking to, but _something_ had made that light. There was no way it would just appear out of nowhere, not here in the realm of darkness.

Who was looking out for her?

Particle of light grew a little more brightly and slowly formed the image of a person and a kind face. There was no mistaking who it was.

“Cinderella...?”

Maybe it was the result of being here in this castle and the shadow of this world, she wasn't sure, but Aqua knew in her heart of hearts that she wanted to believe otherwise. Cinderella's heart was pure and filled with light – she had no business at all being anywhere near the dark realm.

Even though she knew this couldn't possibly be the real Cinderella, Aqua still reached out, fingertips grazing the image's face. The light smiled gently, covering her hand with warmth.

For a long time – or maybe no time at all, because time was irrelevant here – Aqua stood there with the image of a Princess of Heart, wishing so badly that she was real. The night of getting Cinderella to try on the glass slipper and then safely getting her to the ball for her happy ending seemed like a lifetime ago.

And that was exactly what made the loneliness worse – those memories and knowing she had once been a part of them, because what was here? Fear, rage, hate, nothing that any Master should have a part of.

But now, in this light, in the image of a Princess she'd felt an odd connection to, the loneliness didn't seem quite so unbearable. It was as though Cinderella had come here herself to repay Aqua for her deeds earlier and offer something that, for so long, had felt so elusive.

Hope.

“I'll save your world,” Aqua vowed. She had no idea if Cinderella could actually hear, but it felt nice to imagine she was speaking to someone after all this time alone. “I'll find a way to see you again and make sure you're happy. You have my honor as a Master.”

Though of course the image on the light couldn't say anything, Aqua felt a calmness in her heart that she had a feeling only a Princess could manage. She smiled sadly, wishing she could stay right here in this moment.

But it was not to be. The light slipped through her fingers and faded away. She made a grab for it, even knowing it was fruitless, and she didn't lower her arm until the last flashes of light had gone and all that was left was the dark.

She had made promises before her exile here. Terra, Ven, Master Eraqus – she was still fighting for them and gladly would until she physically could no longer. Cinderella's world had fallen to darkness, but it wasn't the first and surely wouldn't be the last. There was no reason to keep a promise that no one but her even knew.

Aqua knew better, though. Perhaps that was how she had become a Master.

She squared her shoulders and lifted her Keyblade, finding the resolve to continue walking and perhaps find a way to fulfill those promises. Being there for those she cared about – it gave her hope, which was what kept her heart in the light.

And if someone like Cinderella, whose heart was pure light, could risk the dark to give Aqua that hope, then Aqua knew she had to see it for the gift it was.

It was still lonely, but now, perhaps, not quite so unbearable.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on [tumblr](http://rainbowserenity.tumblr.com), come say hiiii


End file.
